Miniature or toy railroad track



May 5, 1953 H. L. JOYCE 2,637,501

MINIATURE OR TOY RAILROAD TRACK Filed Jan. 27. 1947 JH H M6 mi HH HH H H HH HH HH H H H H HILUnLLUJ/ LLMEw UN ITE STATES? EN lF-FICE .MNIATURE ORCTY hednvention relatee-generaily'tov a -miniature or toy"-relfilroadA tnaelc,Y particularly adapted* fol eleotrioally operated miniaturetrelins.z

Theeiriven'tionlzis among itsfobjects theproduction-of aniiniature-ftrackf," which maybe-of' f5 two-'rail construction, in which the rails ereeiectrieally Vinsuiatecl viromoneV emot-hef,y \vli'ereby5theymeiyvactV asseparate'electroal itoniiuotors,` nndf-inA which the tiesl arefintegrally connected inT the fc rr1r--of--l relativen`v long-stiips-to which" the reA l@ speetive rai-Isere attached,"ottime-Sametime give-- ing' the appearance' oit --afpiureiity Ioffindividuen'1:11 iaiiwayetiesf Another-lobjeeteof'ftlie'invention is the prodii tion'of such a/traola which is-very^simp1e moon-ff i5 struotiom andfwhich-may-coneist 'of-"only threef= pieces;l the twoY rails and' the tie4 strip-wwbasemembei" Iupon which mthe-r2li1s-are carried? `the construotion-`- menigl particulerly` nolaypteeci-Y Vfor-- tracks-of very smalllgauge;

A further object of the invention is the pro--N duotionl--oisuch'- a -tracizfin''which the samerails anclltie b`ase,\- on'strips; maybe-employed; as de sifeici;v forA veither-straightlV cir-'curved sectionsd offf tracksV anti Whioh'fpossersses oonsderable stienegtlfi-VA 26 insofar yas deformation'onbrealragefis connerne'cv Marry other objects and-'advantagesoiftirefconfstruction herein'shown anddeseribed 'W111i Tloefolo- Vious to Ltii'ose- `slriiiied 'in the -artv from' th'edis` closure hereingiven.V 3

Tof this; enel my-` invention-'consists in -'-tmewnovll construetion; arrangement Zand 'oombination'fof parts'vherein 'showne-nrl 'oierseribeiV aalrnl-"m-ore-iJfif-en ticui'ariyf pointed! out irl-the appended olims.

"in: `tile;i12m/ings, wherein Alike yreferencenlnnr- 359,

eaters inclina-te like 'or' corresponding-parts: f

Fig. 1 a top plan View of the straight section offtiue tmok embodying the present invention;

FigifZ is Viewsimiieirfto-llg; -v l,v` illustrating a curved section of track;

Fig E .is a sectional viewftakenapproximately: onthefiineS-- of '1 Figa 4 isa. sectional View takenfapprcmimately'-y onine-line 14A-i of Fig: 3; and

oi uilfthet may befusecl'with the present inren-- tiiilr.`

Inline, pest it; has abeenadificult :to/,iproduceja miniefture'raiiwey ltrauzk,fior useWitiirscale modele; onine liiafwizieh `possesses aiealistic wpsurf-50 allemand at thelseme tiniefis simple inconstruc-fy tion,.having a .minimum of parts, -;andis rela-2 tiizeiy inexpensiveftomanufacture. This :ieper-w toulanly` true with .the smaller models, as itae-` comes "ineresisirlglyf dcult, no proVielen.Jlealstai:W 55

Fig; 5 is a'- perspectivefviewfoafm-odid-fornif,

trackrorrfvery small size: Fonlexenrrlpl-ei-l thepreSf-" entv'mxfention isgparticuiarly adapted: forffusen traozihaving agaugef 1/2'1! orless, in WlaiclfifconfY struction;'.thelesoele width-of the ities would .nb'ej approximately? le" of; nnginelfirV Obiously; Whilevr y itisipnssible awithflereer-ifgaugetreck to temployf individua-l ities-,.ras shas-beenidone; tflneoomeszm A practicante;- docusoin; such-.z small;` gauge ftrafek. Similarly -everninlargengeugetrack; v.vvfneieirl irl-vl 'diydiiai .isrlenhavefbeeneut eci. in, the :ngtstfconw siderabie ,Workin the init construction-,of the, track may berennred.duegtolthe numerouepiece's eifnpioye,and Whliifinaejjbemne.seperatedfrom,v the:zeils ,aiii lost;

As mest rof the winniture` trainsgwatz 'themesent time,v .are eleetrieelll'y,opereted; it is particw lady-,desirable that the `supporting structure for the Tails; be #of an insi-ilatedf materiel;v whereby the rails maybe used. :as VsepeIa-"feiecz'trioalcon-iu ductors.

Refe'rz'ing'to the/cirajwirigs v in dieetes'geneilally a strip of plastic or other suitableunterial-he ing good-feleetrice\'i`r irisulition characteristics, whic'iii is` corrugates tin'oughout lits? l'e'ngti-ily asf clearly-'jillstiatel Figs 4; *"rrnirigfrelis'ed tiesf leach-being offen'finveiite' `'LiL-slizegjpe i'fifc'rosse-v section; 'comprisirigeetop `aiirblfscle'y wall's 4,1 the flat-ter doWnWardl-yadivergmgfanfadjacent; Wells"A 'connem'zedlbyfal bo'ttomi'or `transe: portion 5:

a. peiroffSl-otsv'end Trespeotively;extending sub stantiailfth-i'ough viral-1l?, s3 lanti f'flof' the tiel; 4121er slotsf': sindv thels'lo'tsr, respectively; 'inthe vfaniousV`A tiesH being longitudinally fl'alignedciwitlfr oneven@ -Y othewfwith'the v-respeetiv slots '-6 fext'erding spari ailei'ftofthefslots 15 Cariiedf bythe :strip trierV a -peirofrii-lsfi ciioftedgenerailyby the nu=- merafl- 8;* each? of fwhiohij. in#- tliifconstruction -i1' lustrated Lin -Figsfl Laim-*3,-A c'onsis'ts:offamead T92 andi-angef'lgf connecte'elfbyfelweiv l 2;"siinilr1y to the usual 'railr'oad=-rail bute-ones@A muchmreduced scale:

Extending vertically"downvmni" fromethe bot# tQmrof .the erige il "of eeen rfiiljis a, longitudi- "naLIly extending stripA oiygelngellaof a thicknessj to` .closely`v` engebge the respective-,slotst and 7," whereby lwhen, ,the-.rails armpositonedes illus: trated.,inV Figs. .Lericiyf 3, 7 Withthe t'ripfsii posi-L *tioneatpinnthe slotsfthe bottomwedges lli ,o'Qth'e stripe! 3 will* seat upon thenpper .surfaces-.ofthe bese .-portions,5, the, .adjecentf .edges mI Eend 16 of the ,walls ofmhe ities. 2, `and the edgesi i and f I8 .in the.. top walis v,3 oi the. respective ties. will. a.frictioneil1yV erjlgege the .side falces'fo .the flanges 3 I3 of the rails, thereby maintaining the same in operative position.

The rails 3 illustrated may be formed in any suitable manner, as for example, by extrusion. However, if desired, the ilange I I may be omitted from the rail, as illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the rail 8' is provided with a head 9', web I2 and ange portion I3. The only diierence between the two rails is the elimination of the flange II, the dimensions of the rails being such that either may be used with the strip.

The strip I is of sufciently light material that it may be flexed slightly when it is desired to form a curved section of track, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the corrugated construction permitting the tie portions to expand slightly adjacent the outer edge thereof. It will be noted that the bottom surface I4 of the rail seats at all times upon the base portions 5 intermediate the respective tie portions; consequently, the track is extremely strong for its size. For example, a person may stand on a track of 1/2 gauge without damage to either the rail or the relatively light plastic strip I. Similarly, as the rail is at all times resting on the base portions 5, the head 9 will be positioned at a uniform heighth, whether the track is straight or curved.

While I have shown the strip or ange I3 as being continuous, obviously a series of spaced flanges could be employed in cooperation with slotted ties at similarly spaced intervals.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

-What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a miniature or toy railroad track, the combination of a tie strip of relatively thin electrical insulating material, having a series of transverse corrugations therein, simulating spaced ties connected by base portions, the width of each base portion being less than the width of said tie portions, the latter having downwardly diverging side walls, said tie portions each having a pair of spaced parallel slots therein extending transversely substantially therethrough, with the separated sections, so formed, of each tie connected by the adjacent base portions, corresponding slots in the respective tie portions being longitudinally aligned, and a rail member positioned in each series of longitudinally aligned slots, with the bottom edges of said rail members resting substantially on the respective base portions and supported therefrom, the width of said slots being such that the rail members are frictionally engaged by the adjacent edges of said tie sections, the track so formed being sufficiently exible to permit curving thereofwhen desired, whereby the same may be employed either as straight or curved track.

2. In a miniature or toyv railroad track, the combination of a tie strip, of relatively thin electrical insulating material. having a series of transverse corrugations therein, simulating spaced ties formed with laterally spaced slots, a plurality of parallel rail members supported by said strip and adapted to frictionally engage the slots of the ties, said strip and said rails being sufficiently flexible to permit curving there- '4 of when desired, whereby the same may be employed either as straight or curved track.

3. In a miniature or toy railroad track, the combination of a tie strip of relatively thin electrical insulating material, having a series of transverse corrugations therein, simulating spaced ties connected by base portions, the width of each base portion being less than the width 0f said tie portions, the latter having downwardly diverging side walls, said tie portions cach having a pair of spaced parallel slots therein extending transversely substantially therethrough, with the separated sections, so formed, of each tie connected by the adjacent base portions, corresponding slots in the respective tie portions being longitudinally aligned, and a rail member positioned in each series of longitudinally aligned slots, with the bottom edges of said rail members resting substantially on the respective base portions and supported therefrom, the width of said slots being such that the rail members are frictionally engaged by the adjacent edges of said tie sections.

4. In a miniature or toy railroad track, the combination of a tie strip or" suitable electrical insulating material having a series of transverse corrugations therein, simulating spaced ties connected by base portions, said tie portions having downwardly diverging side walls, said tie portions each having a plurality of spaced parallel slots therein extending transversely thereto, corresponding slots in the respective tie portions being longitudinally aligned, and a railniember detachably positioned in each series of longitudinally aligned slots, the width of said slots being such that the rail members. are frictionally engaged by said tie portions, said tie strip and rail members being flexible to permit curving thereof when desired, whereby the railroad track may be employed either as straight or curved track. i

5. In a miniature or toy railroad track, the combination of a tie strip of suitable insulating electrical material, having a series of transverse corrugations therein, simulating spaced ties connected by base portions, said tie portions each having a plurality of spaced parallel slots therein extending transversely substantially therethrough, with the separated sections, so formed, of each tie connected by the adjacent base portions, corresponding slots in the respective tie portions being longitudinally aligned, and a rail member being positioned in each series oi longitudinally aligned slots with the bottom edges of said rail members resting substantially on the respective base portions and supported therefrom.

6. In a miniature or toy railroad track, the combination of an elongated tie strip of suitable electrical insulating material having a series of spaced corrugations therein simulating a series of spaced transverse ties connected by intermediate base portions integrally ormed therewith, said strip having a plurality of slots therein located in said ties, and arranged in a plurality of parallel series with the slots of each series located in different ties and longitudinally aligned with one another, and a rail member for each series of slots, each rail member having downwardly depending portions positioned in the respective slots of its series and engaged `by the adjacent portions of the respective ties,

the portions of the slotted ties intermediate the rail members being operative to dene and maintain gauge alignment of such members.

7. As an article of manufacture, a tie strip for a miniature or toy railroad track having parallel rail members, comprising a thin strip of plastic material including a'series of transverse corrugations therein simulating spaced ties formed with spaced slots, said slots adapted to frictionally and detachably receive the rail members.

8. As an article of manufacture, a tie strip for a miniature or toy railroad track having a rail member, comprising a relatively thin flexible strip of electrical insulating material including a series of transverse corrugation therein simulating spaced ties, said strip having a plurality of slots therein located in said ties and arranged in a pair of parallel series with the slots of each series located in different ties and longitudinally aligned with one another, each series being adapted to detachably receive portions of a respective rail member.

9. As an article of manufacture, a tie strip References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 455,885 Pond July 14, 1891 1,783,367 Peterson, Jr. Dec. 2, 1930 1,949,720 Kelley Mar. 6, 1934 2,138,340 Chemidlin Nov. 29, 1938 2,223,545 Bonnano Dec. 3, 1940 

